The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-05-14


ing operations were to be carried
on by his partners. When the ex-
plosion should come he was to be
long enough out of the country and
far enough away to defy detection.
Tosenable the others to escape
also a fourth person, Edwin Noyes
Hills, was summoned by cable
from New York to join George Bid
we'll and Macdonnell in London.
AS he too would obviously be i'm
plicated in the crime as soon as it
became known, he took the precau-
ton of advertising for place as a
clerk under the name of Edwin
Noyes, making some Ostentatious
display of his action in the matter,
so that it would appear that he
was only an innocent employe.
Macdonnell. under the name of
Charles j. Horton, duly employed
him. The confederates had also
secured an account at the Conti-
mental bank, of London under the
name of c. J. Horton, and it be-
came Noyes' duty to deposit the
proceeds obtained from drafts or
bills discounted by the Western
branch of England to the Continen-
tial bank, or get them changed
into gold at the Bank of England.
Bank of England notes can be read
lily traced by their numbers. So
the first thing the confederates did
when receiving such notes was to
have them changed at once into
gold, and then latter exchange the
gold for other notes.
George Bidwell and Macdonnell
now proceeded to transmit in quick
succession from Birmingham, under
cover of letters purporting to be
written by F. A, Warren, the forged
bills they had prepared, and by
the end of February fogeries to the
amount of E1O2,217 were actually
discounted at the bank the money
was duly transferred to Horizons
account at the Continental, after
first being changed into gold and
rechanged into other notes, as we
have explained, for the purpose OF
obliterating all traces OF the tran
saction. The proceeds were
then invested in American securi-
ties, and large sums were sent to
New York. Success seemed com
plete, and the daring forgers had
secured with apparent safety 5000
600. There is good reason to believe
that the last batch of drafts the
bank received was the last the
forgers intended to send. 1t ar
rived on the 9th of FEBRUARY. The
first Of the forged acceptances was
not due until the 31st of March
During the month that intervened
there would be time for them to
make their escape and seek some
place where they would be safe
from the pursuits of English detec
tives, when suddenly, through one
of those oversights by which tho
most deeply laid schemes are
brought to naught, the whole
scheme was exposed. Two bill:
for $1,000 each were payable three
months after sight. On these th'
forger had omitted to put the date
of acceptance. Supposingthis was
mere accident they were sent t.
the acceptor's office by the bank t.
have the slight error rectified. Th'
fogery was at once discovered ant
the whole scheme collapsed. Ever.
bill which "F. A. Warren hat
sent after the 18th of January wa
with once acception. forged, am
that one had been fraudulent.
altered from G25 to f25OO. AM
upon this mass of worthless pape
the Bank of England had auvance'
over 100000
At once the whole power OF tn
English detective system was pu
in operation and the cOnvicts traced
Moves was the first arrested, nc
being able to get out of London bt
fore the detectives found hin
George Bidwell was arrested i
Edinburgh. Macdonnell was al
rested in New York, and Austi
Bidwell was traced to Cuba and a
rested in Havana, whence he wa
taken back to London. All feu
were placed on trial in the Centr;
criminal court before Judge Arch
bold. The trial lasted a week, AM
although the forgers had covere
their tracks with.consummate skill
the whole crime was completed
proved. The jury found the'
. guilty after an absence OF scare
half an hour. Strong pie;
had been made for Austin BIZ
, we'll and Noyes for lenienc
The Judge at once passed SCI
, tence. He said he was unab
to conceive q worse case than hs
, been made against all the priso
ers. He, therefore, felt it to be b
+ duty to order each of them to
= kept in penal servitude for life, al
' that they should pay one-fourth
the expenses of the pr0secutlo
"A the words came solemnly fro
. tho ;ud0e's Inns a low indescribab